First and Last Lesson
by theskirilydoctor
Summary: It's Ratonhnhaké:ton's birthday and his mother decides to treat him to something special.


Edit: Wah! People actually like this? I've been getting so many good reviews and just asdfghjkl. Thank you :3

Author Note: So this was done in less than a day. I also finished it at 5:18 in the morning so yeah xD

Just a little fluff piece really with a Lion King reference thrown in.

Ratonhnhaké:ton belongs to Ubisoft.

Kaniehtí:io belongs to Ubisoft.

The Lion King belongs to Disney.

* * *

"Are you sure about this mother?"

Looking down, Ratonhnhaké:ton wobbled a bit on the branch he precariously stood on. It was mid spring and the air around him was buzzing with the calling of birds and insects. It was his fifth spring and he and is mother, Kaniehtí:io, were out in the forest that surrounded the village. She had brought him out here with promises of a special treat but Ratonhnhaké:ton was a little apprehensive about how 'special' it actually was.

"I am sure. Just remember that if you fall I will catch you," he heard her say softly as he looked down at her. His mothers face was reassuring and that gave him the courage he needed to take his first few steps. The branch he was on was more of a fallen trunk connect to it's stump by what looked like seasons worth of fungus and growth. It laid flat against a rock formation and he purposely tested it by jumping up and down slightly.

"It will hold. These trees, this whole forest is alive and if you listen, you can hear it whispering to you," Ratonhnhaké:ton watched as his mother moved over to the tree closest to him and place her hand on the trunk. He frowned a little at her words, not really understanding how the trees could 'whisper' to him, "You must have faith in yourself son, do not let doubt falter your steps. You are brave." Her faith in him warmed his heart and taking a deep breath he took a few careful steps back, ran than jumped.

And missed. Ratonhnhaké:ton reached out for the branch but he missed it by a few centimetres. He began to fall, screaming slightly before he landed in his mothers arms, "I told you I would catch you," she said, a sparkle in her eye that he identified as laughter. Groaning, he squirmed out of her hold and climbed back up to the fallen tree, creeping along it before he leapt yet again. This time, he added more power to his jump and was rewarded was he smacked into the branch. Winded, he hung there for a few moments before he clambered onto the branch and looked down. Kaniehtí:io had not said anything and just watched him as he struggled and when he had found his footing she spoke, "Now drop down and try again."

Ratonhnhaké:ton nodded and gently lowered himself to the ground, rubbing his stomach slightly as he once again repeated the process. It took him a few tried, most of them fails, before he was able to leap from the tree to the branch and keep his footing. Grinning he looked down at Kaniehtí:io who in turn was grinning back up at him, "You are a quick learner, I was not able to do that for a whole day," she said proudly before she motioned him down again. Ratonhnhaké:ton joined his mother on the ground and looked up at her expectantly when she smiled as then walked to the rock formation herself and climbed up onto the fallen tree, "Come," was all she said and he followed her. When he got close, she jumped to the next branch then wrapped her arms around the tree to skirt to the branch on the other side. All the while Ratonhnhaké:ton watched carefully as he guessed what was coming next, "Let us see if you can follow me."

With that Kaniehtí:io jumped to the next tree, then the next before Ratonhnhaké:ton caught on and made his first jump. His steps were unsteady but he did not falter. All he had to do was remember what his mother had taught him, remember what he had just seen. He noticed her watching him three trees over as he skirted around to the other branch and made it safely. Ratonhnhaké:ton say the smile he received from his mother before she continued on with him following as fast as he could. The forest was alive around him. Rabbits squeaked and ran in every direction when they noticed him in the trees, deer snorted before trotting away and birds sung to him as he ran past their nests. Everything was green and brown, lush and beautiful. Ratonhnhaké:ton soon found himself believing what his mother had said about the trees, about them whispering. As he ran trough their branches, swung through their leaves, they spoke to him softly, telling him where to jump, where not to go. He felt alive.

Looking ahead he watched as his mother jumped from a branch onto a cliff face. Instead of copying her, he came to a halt and looked up as she disappeared onto the surface of the cliff, "Mother?" he said, voice a little shaky as he looked up. It was steep and high up but he was relieved when he saw her face.

"I am here. Trust your instincts son. See those cracks, you can grasp onto them. Look for parts where the cliff face is uneven. Rely on your instincts, I believe in you," she said calmly, watching him.

Ratonhnhaké:ton took in a deep breath and looked at the cliff face and saw what his mother had been speaking about. He looked closer now and saw the uneven edges where he could grasp and then he jumped. He landed a little hard but held on tightly and with a single laugh of triumph at himself he began to climb, higher and higher. The more he went up, the fresher the air seemed to get and the more free he felt. Before he knew it Ratonhnhaké:ton was clambering over the edge and was immediately embraced by Kaniehtí:io. He returned the hug, happy to of made his mother proud. As usual she smelt like pine and the wild from her times she would leave the valley. Looking up at her, still in the embrace, brown eyes met brown eyes and they both smiled.

Kaniehtí:io gently stroke the side of her sons face, brushing away a few loose strands of hair, "You have much of your fathers looks," she said softly, eyes going distant for a few seconds.

"My father? Who was he?" Ratonhnhaké:ton asked, curiosity sparking in his eyes like it always did when his father was mentioned.

Sighing, she sat down, pulling him into her lap with him. Ratonhnhaké:ton got comfortable and looked up at her expectantly, eyes showing nothing but innocence. This made it all the more harder for her to begin speaking.

"Your father is not of our people," she began, "That is why you are of lighter skin than the other children. His name was Haythem Kenway, he was from a land called Britain over the sea... He and met because he helped free my people and I from men who wished to sell us. He then seeked me out in hopes I would know about a site he was after. For my services he was supposed to kill a man who planned to hurt our people. But he lied and I did not figure it out until after... After we had spent some time together. There was a time when I thought that we could have a life together but I was wrong. Still, I do not regret a moment of my time with him. For his flaws, there was always something about him that drew me to him. He is not a bad man, but neither is he a good man. Ratonhnhaké:ton, do not ever think ill of him. I made him leave."

Ratonhnhaké:ton was silent as she spoke, his young mind processed everything she told him as much as it could. He stayed quiet even after she had finished for a while before he simply hugged her again, "Thank you mother," was all he needed to say. He was glad he knew about his father now but his curiosity was sated now, "You are all the family I need."

Kaniehtí:io felt her heart fill with love for her son and she kissed the top of his head, earning her a 'muuuuum' as he squirmed out of her grasp. She laughed at her son and made a grab for him but he darted away out of her reach, "You are like a rabbit," she joked before she crouched down and made a growling sound, "And I am hungry cougar."

Ratonhnhaké:ton looked at his mother for a moment before he began running with a laugh of delight. He knew he could not outrun her, so he used the trees to duck under the lower branches to try and get away. It did not take her long to catch him and sweep him of his feet.

"Time for dinner," Kaniehtí:io growled and then pretended to eat him as Ratonhnhaké:ton laughed and squealed. The pair fell to the ground and rolled in the grass before they separated, both breathing hard from their laughter. It was getting late now, the stars just showing as they both looked up.

"We'll always be together right?" he asked, turning his head to look at her.

"Right," she said in reply.

The next morning Ratonhnhaké:ton was reading a colonial book he had been given when his mother walked in. He dropped the book quickly and kicked it under the bed before smiling at her fondly, trying to look innocent.

* * *

Edit: For those you who do not get it. That book is the one that Ziio catches him reading at the start of the game.


End file.
